D.C. resident and wedding planner Freedman started the style blog districtweddings.com in 2009 as a way to inspire Washington brides.
What are the latest wedding trends in D.C.? I’m seeing a return to the more classic wedding. Over the last couple years, everything’s been really casual, and you were seeing more family-style meals; lately I’ve seen a lot more classy weddings, which is very D.C. — a more formal dress, black-tie attire, a sit-down, three-course dinner.
Both D.C. and weddings are notoriously pricey. Do you have tips for keeping wedding costs down? I think the biggest tip I can give is to prioritize. You have to understand your priorities in order to figure out what you should be spending money on and what you shouldn’t. Doing things yourself isn’t always going to save you a few dollars. Everyone thinks “do it yourself” is going to be cheaper, but I’ve done many projects that are not. There are great resources now like Etsy and Craigslist. Be really honest with yourself about your budget. It’s not cheap, and it adds up quickly.
What’s your favorite wedding style? I love anything that’s personalized. I think people like weddings where they say: “That’s just so them.”
There are so many ideas on wedding blogs and sites like Pinterest these days. How do you combat wedding envy or fatigue? While it’s a blessing to have all that information out there, it’s also a curse because I think it can be easy to lose your way and start with one vision and change course because of the things you see online. I really think it’s about prioritizing. Do you really need to have a menu with every guest’s name on it? – Liz Essley
